A genuine “holy crap” moment from Hyundai’s luxury marque
A few days ago, on the southern coast of France, Genesis pulled the wraps off its most daring concept car yet: the Magma GT. With mid-engine proportions, undeniably V8-esque engine sounds, and styling that mimics Genesis Magma Racing’s IMSA-ready hypercar, this hot piece of rock shocked the crowds who had no idea what to expect from behind the curtain.
Genesis
It’s wild to think that only a few short decades ago, Hyundai was peddling Excels and Ponys out of its rarely-visited showrooms. Today, however, the brand cements its victory in becoming the world’s third-largest automaker by volume and second most profitable by showcasing its extravagant new supercar. Hyundai has come a seriously long way in a short period of time, and Genesis’s debut just ten years ago propelled the brand to unprecedented heights.
The Genesis Magma GT Concept was truly shocking to see in person (no, really, the crowd actually gasped when it rolled on stage). This glorious thing could easily compete with the C8 Chevrolet Corvette, or perhaps even the Ferrari 296 GTB, McLaren Artura, and the Lamborghini Temerario. We don’t know anything about how much it’ll cost, how much power it’ll make, what kind of drivetrain it’ll use, or really anything at all. What I can tell you, however, is that when the driver pressed that throttle and its engine bounced violently off the rev limiter, there was no doubt in my mind that it was packing a V8 engine of some sort.
Genesis is serious about developing Magma into a world-beating performance brand
Genesis has now sold over 1 million cars globally, and to celebrate the world’s love affair with Hyundai’s luxury marque, it has officially founded its very own high-performance sub-brand: Magma. Though this performance brand begins with the promising GV60 Magma EV, the Magma GT Concept hints at the brand’s future commitment to combustion-powered sports cars, as well as its GT-level racing ambitions. And what a gorgeous thing it is.
Final thoughts
Though Genesis hasn’t yet revealed much about the Magma GT Concept other than how striking it looks, this stunning supercar certainly has me excited about the brand’s vibrant future. As someone who used to spend his days selling Hyundais off a small lot in Victoria, B.C., it’s truly awe-inspiring to see the brand that was once the butt of jokes in Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift become the kind of automaker that makes genuine dream cars. The reveal of the Genesis Magma GT Concept, as well as the official debut of the Magma high-performance sub-brand, is truly a momentous milestone for the Korean car-making machine that, frankly, has been absolutely crushing it lately.
If you’re keen on learning more about Genesis’s and Magma’s intergalactic ambitions, stay tuned, because this isn’t the last of what the brand has in store. No, seriously, Genesis also showed off an all-new luxury performance station wagon concept, the GV60 Magma has made its official debut, and next year will be the first official season for the brand’s well-trained racing team, which has been overseen by none other than six-time LeMans winner Jacky Ickx.
